The deeper the night grew, the hotter the Pendant became.
I stared at the mark pressed into my palm by the Copper Coin, like a knife cut etched into wood. The rhythm of Situ Mo tapping the table with his fingertips still echoed in my ears—*clang, clang, clang*—pacing my Heartbeat. The skin where that blue thread wrapped around my sleeve felt numb; it was broken now, but the sensation lingered.
I don't believe in coincidence.
I tossed the three Copper Coins; one stood upright, which he knocked down with a sound. It landed with the reverse side up—the image of Tai Yin, symbolizing concealment. But the scratch on the edge of that coin was new, as if freshly made. I tried to pick at it with my fingernail, but it wouldn't budge.
It wasn't wear and tear; it was a Mark.
I pulled out the Pharmacology Hall notes, flipping to the previous page. I had recorded the pattern of Lu Jiuxuan’s Purple Markings on his back. That pattern matched the Totem on Situ Lie’s Ghost Mask; it was the Brand of the Heart-Burning Curse. Last night by the Hot Spring, the Pendant vibrated, casting a Fragment of a Talisman that matched a Rune in a certain Ancient Tome in the Library Pavilion. That book discussed the art of Bloodline Resonance, mentioning that descendants of the Star Gazing Clan could activate the Star Disk, but the Price was having their Memory repeatedly erased.
I didn't read further. The book was confiscated; they said it was forbidden reading at the Academy.
But I knew that book was originally on the third sub-level of the Library Pavilion.
I touched the Herb Ash on my sleeve, then touched the Pendant on my chest. It was still hot, as if urging me on.
I couldn't wait any longer.
I got up, blew out the oil lamp, and pushed the door open.
The night wind swept through the Corridor, and the Night Patrol bell rang every quarter hour. I stuck close to the wall, avoiding the main path. The three Talisman Locks at the Library Pavilion entrance glowed faintly—one suppressing spirits, one locking Qi, and one identifying blood. During the day, when disciples entered and exited, the Rune light flashed only once. Now they were all lit; the Barrier was active.
I squatted around the corner and pulled out several torn Talisman Papers from my sleeve. They were all discarded scraps, fragments of a Shadow-Concealing Talisman half-drawn and thrown away. This type of Talisman could briefly mask one's aura, but it required Spiritual Power to Activate. I had no Spiritual Power, only the Pendant.
I placed the fragments over the lock keyhole, aligning the edges. I pressed down with my finger and placed the Pendant on top.
It trembled violently.
Golden Light seeped out from the seams. For just an instant, all three Talisman Locks dimmed for half a breath. That was enough.
I pushed the door open and entered.
It was pitch black inside. Bookshelves towered high, layered upon layers, the aisles so narrow I had to turn sideways. Relying on Memory, I walked inward: three turns left, two turns right, ending at a collapsed bookshelf. This area hadn't been repaired since the last Blood Sacrifice. The wooden frame was skewed, and books were scattered everywhere.
I squatted down, moved aside half a crossbeam, revealing a Stone Slab underneath. Twisted patterns were carved onto it, resembling intertwined Star Tracks, or perhaps some kind of Bloodline Totem. Chapter Thirteen of the notes mentioned that this pattern matched the emblem of the Star Gazing Clan.
I couldn't touch it directly. The Stone Slab recognized blood and would also sound an alarm.
I bit my fingertip and dripped blood onto the back of the Pendant. I had learned the Blood Lure technique while wandering, using the aura of an external object to disguise my identity. This Pendant had absorbed the Mess Hall Uncle's Demonic Aura and Lu Jiuxuan's Sword Qi. Now, I made it carry a trace of Demonic Aura.
I pressed the Pendant onto the Stone Slab.
The patterns lit up.
Not red, not blue, but gold.
The Stone Slab sank, revealing a Stone Door. Light seeped from the gap, even brighter than before. The Pendant suddenly broke free from my hand, flying to the door and adhering to the central Groove.
The door opened.
There was no wind inside, but light was flowing, spilling out from the door like water. I stepped in, my feet landing on the ground as if treading on a Star River. Every step stirred up ripples of faint light.
The Secret Chamber wasn't large; the four walls were covered in Murals. The paintings depicted people kneeling before a Star Disk, dripping blood from their palms as Stars fell from the sky. Another wall showed a Sea of Fire, a city collapsing, and a Young Girl placing the Pendant into a boy's hand before turning to walk into the flames.
My breath hitched.
That Young Girl was me.
But I don't remember.
In the very center, a broken Star Disk floated in mid-air, covered in Cracks, as if it had been struck countless times. It rotated slowly, each turn drawing out fine Golden Light, like falling Stardust.
I walked closer.
The Pendant suddenly left my body, transforming into a Light Stream that slammed into the Star Disk's Cracks.
In an instant, the world spun.
I saw myself standing in the same spot, but the surroundings were burning Palace Halls. Tongues of fire licked the beams, and black smoke billowed into the sky. I was wearing an old Cloth Strip dress, clutching the Pendant tightly in my hand. Standing opposite me was a Silver-Haired Youth, his face smeared with blood, a wound on his arm deep enough to see bone.
I shoved the Pendant into his hand.
"Take this, and survive," I said.
He shook his head, trying to give it back to me.
I pressed down on his hand. "Don't look back. Run."
His lips moved, but no sound came out.
I turned and rushed into the fire.
The scene cut off.
I stood there, gasping, cold sweat streaming down my back.
That youth... was Lu Jiuxuan?
But hadn't I only met him in this lifetime?
I raised my hand to touch my face; my fingertips were wet. I didn't know when I had started crying.
The Star Disk was still turning, the Golden Light in the Cracks faint, as if it could extinguish at any moment. I reached out to touch it, then pulled back. That scene just now wasn't an Illusion; it was Memory. But why hadn't I ever recalled it?
I looked down at my chest.
The Pendant was gone, leaving only a Broken Chain.
But it was still vibrating, making my Heart Area feel numb.
I bit my tongue until the pain brought me clarity. I couldn't stay long. The light in the Secret Chamber was growing brighter, already spilling out past the door. The Talisman Lamps on the top floor of the Library Pavilion would sense the anomaly, and the protectors would arrive soon.
I tore a strip of cloth from my inner garment and wrapped it around the Broken Chain and the residual heat. The item was still working, it had just temporarily exhausted its form.
I retreated to the Stone Door and glanced back at the Star Disk.
It paused for a moment.
As if sensing something.
I closed my eyes and etched every detail I had seen into my mind: the Murals, the direction of the Cracks, the face of the Silver-Haired Youth. Then I turned and retraced my steps out.
The Stone Slab had closed. I mixed the Incense Ash I carried in my sleeve with herb powder and smeared it over the spot where I had dripped blood. The ash powder covered the bloodstain and could briefly block residual aura. I learned this while wandering; it even worked against tracking hounds.
I returned to behind the bookshelf and hid among the beams.
Less than two quarters of an hour later, the Night Patrol disciples arrived.
Two of them carried lanterns, walking at an unhurried pace. One glanced at the Talisman Locks. "Normal."
The other looked toward the collapsed bookshelf. "Has this pile been cleared yet?"
"They said they need to keep it for the case file."
"Case file my foot, it's been half a month."
They walked away.
I waited for the time it takes to burn an incense stick before gently landing.
It wasn't yet dawn outside.
I touched the Cloth Strip on my chest; it was still hot, like holding a freshly baked piece of charcoal.
I turned and walked back, my steps light.
When I reached the corner of the Corridor, I stopped abruptly.
There was a mark on the ground.
It wasn't a footprint, nor a scratch.
It was an extremely fine line lying across the Green Bricks, glowing with a faint blue light, like the spider silk that had wrapped around my sleeve last night.
I squatted down.
I gently touched it with my fingernail.
The line broke.
A gust of wind blew, and it crumbled into dust.
I stood up and continued walking.
I didn't look back.
But I knew someone had been here.
Or perhaps, they had always been here.